Portiere.



No. 66|,608. Patented N ov. I3, i900. J. B. HOLTZCLAW.

4 PURTIEBE.

lction led Mar. 12, 1900 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN i3. IIOLTZCLAW, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OSCAR A. JOSE, OF SAME PLACE.

PoRTlRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,608, datedNovexnber 13, 1900. Apnlication filed Merch 12,1900. .Serial No. 8,297. (No model.)

To ML whom it may concern,.-

Beit known [hat I, JOHN B. HOLTZCLAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have` invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portires, of which `1he following is a specification.

This invention relates to ,improvements in portires and other curtains; and the object 1o is lo support'the upper edge of the hanging curtain in a manner to keep it from sagging between the points of suspension. The object also is to compel the curtain to fold in well-defined and uniformly-equal lfolds.

'lhe further object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, a`nd durable hook attachment for fastening the curtains to the pole-rings.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by t-he mechanism illustrated in the aecompanying drawings, in which-' Figure l is a front perspective view of a curtain-pole-and a pair of portires, one of which is Yfolded and the other is unfolded. The unfolded one is broken away in part to shown the stiffening-strip at the top. Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective of the sti'eningstrip. Fig. 3 is a detail in vertical section of the stiffening-strip, showing the manner of attaching the suspeusory hook; and Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a modified hinge connecting the several sections of the stitfeningstrip.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several Views of the drawings.

A is the pole from which the pci-tiere is suspended. It has the rings A, wlnh eyes o, all of usual and well-known construction.

B is the portire, which it has been the custom to make et a double thickness of material, which custom best suits the purpose of this invent-ion, although not necessarily essential in carrying it into practice. Between the two thicknesses of the portire, adjacent to its upper edge, a stiifening C is insei-ted. This stidening will be made out of a strong and stiff material, likebinders board, of suitable width-say from three to nine inches, according to the size ot" the portireand cut transversely into sections equal in length to the width of fold to be given to the curtain or portire. The several sections are hinged together, so as to fold in alternate opposite directions, the hinges being-.of any suitable tough and flexible material, as cloth, '55 leather, or paper, (shown at d.)

E is a hook by means of a number of which the portire is removablysecu red to the rings on the horizontal pole by passing the hook through the eye of the ring. The hook will 6o preferably be made of wire, which is bent at its lower end to forman eye, throughuwhich an eyelet-fastener f, passing through said eye in the hook and through a hole in the stiening C, is passed and secured by rivet-v ing the parts of the eyelet together in the usual manner. The hook E lies against the stiieningboard and passes up to the top edge of same, where it is bent close across said edge to form the part e, which will keep 7o the hook from swinging around its'eyeletfastening, and then the lhook end is extended suitably above the edge of the stieningboard and is then bent down and made to terminate at one side of :and below the top edge of the board to in amanner lock the eye of the pole-ring Af in the hook when the hook is inserted through the eye a in the manner as is shown in Fig.' 1. y

In `the'rnoditlcation shown in Fig. 4; the 8o stiening-sections are connect ed by the metal hinge G, and to keep the hinge from opening out too far, and thereby tlat'ening the folds. to an extent which destroys their eiectiveness, I provide the middle extensions g i, which contact with each other at a predetermined angle of the leaves ot' the hinge and prevents a farther opening of the hinge. These extensions are long enough to allow them to be grasped by pliers and adjusted by 9o bending toward or from each otheri to change their angular relation tothe leaves of the hinges and regulate the maximum opening of the hinge. The stiff unbendifngcharacter of the stiening-strip gives an unyielding support along the whole top edge of the curtain, thereby eiectually keeping the latter from sagging, and thehinged joints in the stifteningstrip give folds which are positive an'd certain at the desired intervals. roo

Having thus f ully described my invention, what I claim'as new, andwish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is"

1. The combination with a'portire or Other ic'urtain of a stitfening and fold-formingstrip at its top edge, said strip being formed of a plurality of strong and'stii sections equal in length te the \width of .the desired folds and said strips being hinged together to'fold in alternately'opposite directions, a horizontal pole, curtain -rings sliding" thereon having eyelets to engage curtain-hooks, and curtainlow the edge ofthe strip, substantially as dec scribed and shown.

2. The combination with a portire 0 1' other curtain of a stiffening and 1"o1dforming,r strip incorporated therein substantially as described, saidstrip being formed of a plurality 'of stili sections hinged togethe'ras described and sho'wn, said hinged sections having adjustable extensions g, g, to limit the extent of their opening, substantiallyas speci tied.

In Witness whereof I havehereunto setmy hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 9th dayof March, A. D..1900.

Witnesses:

- JOSEPH A. MINTURN,

OSCAR A. JOSE. 

